Printing machine



Dec. 15, 1931. P. M. POPE 1,836,551

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 16, 1928 5 heets-Sheet 1 7210/ M 7%,0: 53913 SHOT/4043b Dec. 15,1931. P. M. POPE 1,836,551

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 15, 1931. P. M. POPE 1,836,551

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 15, 1931. N P. M. POPE 1,836,551

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. is, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 QIQ UHL MM ML ML L; HIE Hi H llllI Dec. 15, 1931.

P. POPE PRINTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-d VJ PAUL I. POPE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO-A. KIMIBALL COMPANY, OF .NEW

YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ERINTING MACHINE Application m February 16, 1928. Serial No. 254,658.

This invention relates to printing machines and particularly to machines for printing strips of partially severed units such as price tags; and has for one of its objects the provision of an improved machine for this purpose which will perform the printing operation rapidly and accurately and without damage to the strips.

For the purpose of furnishing a clearer understanding of the machine it may here be explained that many retail stores are accustomed to using price tags with brads, staples or strings aflixed thereto. These tags are attached to articles by passing the pins therethrough and turning or bradding the prongs of the staples on the opposite side of the oods or by tying the strings to the goods.

he tags are usually received by the retailers in strips comprising aplurality of partially severed tags with staples or strings aflixed to each tag and perhaps certain usual printed matter thereon but with blank spaces left on the individual tags for the insertion of more definite information such as price, size, lot, etc., by the retailer just prior to the attachment of the tags to the goods. When provided with the machine to be described hereinbelow the retailer is enabled to place this final data neatly, legibly and. quickly on any desired number of tags and then quickly to change the type for other tags.

Inasmuch as the tags are made in several standard widths the machine should preferably be provided with means to handle the several sizes in such .a way as to cause the, printed matter to be accurately placed thereon.

Some strips, either by reason of the quality of paper used or by reason of being partlally severed at numerous places, are quite flexible and if the attempt be made to feed them by pushing toward printing position the strips may buckle and the printing will not be fairly placed thereon or the strip may be torn or dama ed to such an extent that it is not usable. Eccording to the present invention means are rovided to feed the tags by drawing or pulllng ratherthan by push ing them toward printing positioni The invention will be described particu Figs. 1 andv7;

larly in connection with the printing of tags of the above specified character but with the full realization that it may have a much Wider application and may be employed for printing strips which have neither 'serra tionsnor staples. For example, it may be employed for. the printing of continuous integral or serrated strips which are much thinner and even more flexible than the tags described.

Further objects and various novel features will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and accompanying illustration of one specific embodiment of the invention given by way of example. In the drawings: 7 Fig. 1 is atop plan view of an assembled machine; 3

Fig. 2 is a front elevation'of the same Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 33 of Fig-1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1,'the printing head and related parts being omitted;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5"5 of Fig. 6 is'a plan view of the mechanism and related parts;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 77 of Fig. 6; f

'Fig. 8 is an isometric view of a detail;

Fig. 9 is a partial longitudinal elevation of a feed bar;

. Fig. 10 is a transverse section taken on line- 10-1O of Fig.9; Fig. 11 is an enlarged planview of parts shown in Fig. 1; a

Fig. 12 is a right end elevation; and

Fig. 13 is a horizontal section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12. y I

As shown in the drawings the machine comprises a base frame 20 provided with lugs or feet 21 adapted to rest upon a'table, frame, or other suitable foundation on which the machine is placed. The machine is relatively small and light and may be transported from" place to place by one personin the same man ner as altypewriter or a desk computing machine. When intended to be placed on afin-' ished surface a pad may be employed or the gripper feed which the strips of tags 27 indicated in dot'-' ted lines, travel. The plates 24 and 25 are spaced from the plates 22 and 23 so as to provide recesses or grooves 28, 29 for the reception of the protruding ends of the staples 30 carried by the tags in order that the str ps may lie flat upon the table. The grooves may also serve toguide the strips toward printingposition although it is contemplated that in cases where no staples are provided, the gripper device hereinafter described may hold the strips sufliciently tight to enable the strip to be fed to printing position sufficiently accurately. If desired the plates 23 and 25 may be cut away on the side ad] acent the recesses as indicated at 31, 32 respectively to form converging guideways for directing the ends of the staples into the grooves. The plates 23 and 24 are in alignment but the1r adjacent ends are spaced apart to admit a print pad 33' (Figs. 1', 2 and 4) havmg a rubber covering 34, the top surface of which Wlll be flush with the top of the table. The pad 33 may be secured to .the frame by a set ,screw 35 and set screws 36 may be employed to raise orlower the pad as reouired 01; proper positioning of the same before set screw 35 is tightened.

In accordance with this invention means is provided forcarrying thestrips of tags in a step-'by-step movement past the printing position as represented by the pr1nt pad 33 and providing for the accurate pos tioning of the individual tags in the prlntingv position. It is also proposedto provide means which may be a partof orassociated with the feeding means for handling strlps of tags of different sizes. In the particular embodiment herein to be described four different sizes of tags can be handledbutobviously provision may be made for handling a greater number of sizes if desired.

While the means mentioned abovev may have many different embodiments, that which is at present preferred and which W1ll b6 described herein, comprises a gripper device generally denoted by the numeral 40 and means for moving the same as required. Any selected means may be provided for imparting to the gripper device an intermittent or step-by-istep forwardmovement to vcarry the stripsof tags past the printing pos1t1on but, as herein shownand described, thismoving means comprises a reciprocating feed bar 41, which bar "may be actuated by any suitable mechanism.. The gripper r device herein show-n comprises a block 42slidable between a faced surface 43 of the base frame 20 and the strip 26, which stri is spaced from the face 43 beyond the enC 44 of the plate 25. The end 44 limits the movement of the block 42 in one direction while a spacer block 45 disposed between the end of the strip 26 and the end of the base frame limits the movement of the sliding block in the other direction. The strip 26 is somewhat resilient and bears'with .a-islight. tension uponthe side of the block 42 so that the latter will frictionally hold its position at any point to which it is moved except when a slight force is applied to move itfrom this position.

Means is provided on the block 42 for gripping theends of the strips of tags and, while this means may assume different embodiments, it-is shown 'as a flexible finger 46 secured to ablock 47 which is pivoted to the sliding block'42 by a pin 48. A coiled spring 49 disposed within a recess 50 in the block 42 bears against the .bottom of the recess and against the block 47 below the pin 48 to bias the finger 46at all times against the upper surface of the sliding block 42. Strips inserted between the finger and the block 42 will be firmly held and drawn forward in accordance with the movements of the sliding block. A pin or stud 52 may be secured in the sliding block 42 along the length of the finger 46 to fix the position of the strips therebeneath. Preferably the pin 52 is also disposed intermediate the width of the finger 46. For example, it may pass through a hole 53 in the finger, the hole being somewhat larger in diameter than the outside diameter of the pin for freedom of movement.

Although any suitable means may be employed for causing the gripper device 40 to be moved in one direction and one direction only by the feed bar 41, the means here selected comprises a pawl 55 pivoted to the block 42 by a pin 56 in such position that its offset and 57 may move into engagement with suitable operating members provided on the reciprocating feed bar. The free end of the pawl is heavier than the operating end 57 so that the latter will bebiased by gravitytoward the feed bar.- 7

It is desirable to free the gripper device from the feed bar at certain times in order that it may be moved up past the printing position to engage a fresh strip of tags. For this-purpose the pawl 55 is arranged to be disengagedor moved clear of the push rod by a cam 60 fixed on a hand rotated rod 61,

mounted on the block 42. The cam 60 is provided with a flat face 62 disposed within a notch' 63 of the pawl. The other portion 64 ofthe cam is concentric and whenthepawl' is raised by this concentric portion its operating end 57-will be clear of the feed bar. v

.Means is associated with the hand operated rod 61 for lifting the gripper finger 46 when the pawlis disengaged from the bar.

This may be accomplished by providing a pin in a bore 66 in the block 42 between the end of the pawl 55 and the finger 46. By this arrangement the pin which constantly rests upon the top surface of the pawl will engage the undersurface of the finger 46 upon upward movement of the Weighted end of the pawl. It is arranged that the finger 46 will be lowered to engage the strip of tags slightly before the pawl engages the feed bar. This is done in order that the gripper device will not be moved away by action of the feed bar until the strip of tags is securely caught by the finger.

A knob 67 may be provided on the outer end of the rod 61 to enable the same to be readily moved by an operator. If desired the rotative movement of the rod 61 may be limited by a notched disk 68 fast on the rod 61 cooperating with a stud 69 fixed in the block against which one of the two abutments of the notch in the disk may strike.

The feed bar 41 may be constructed in various ways so as to impart movement to the gripper device. As shown the means comprises several (four as shown) sets of equally spaced notches 71, the spacing of the different sets of notches, however, being different to provide the correct feeding for tickets of difl'erent widths. The set of notches 71a, for example, may be of one spacing; the notches 71b of a slightly longer spacing; the notches 710 of still longer spacing and the notches 71d of the longest spacing. The four sizes provided will take care of the principal tag sizes at present employed but if further tag sizes are to be handled, it will be obvious that other sets of notches may be pro vided on the feed bar by making the same of larger diameter or by allot-ting less of the peripheral length to each set.

According to the present invention means is provided for rotating and lockingthe feed bar 41 so that any one of the several sets of notches may be instrumental in actuating the sliding gripper device. As shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 this means may comprise a sleeve or bushing 7 3 suitably mounted in a bore 74 in the end of the base frame and slidably keyed to the feed bar 41. The sleeve 7 3 may be provided witha head 75 having longitudinal slots 76 therein. A stud 77 fixed in the base frame is arranged to engage the head 75 Within one of the notches 76 when the head is pushed forward but when the head is moved outward, it is released from engagement with the stud 77 and may be rotated so that another notch 76 will engage the stud. A hand screw 78 having a head 79 adapted to bear against the outer end of the head 75 of the bushing may be employed to hold the same in forward position in engagement with the stud 77.

According to this invention suitable means is provided for causing reciprocation'of the feed bar 41. Preferably it is arranged that the feed bar will be moved in feeding direction by a spring or other resilient means while it is moved in the reverse direction by positively actuated means. As shown, the operating means may comprise a lug or collar 80 fast on the feed bar 41 and a coil spring 81 disposed between the end of the collar 80 and the end of the sleeve 73; A lever 82 pivoted to the base frame by a pin 83 has an end 84 adapted to engage the collar 80 and to operate the feed bar against the spring. A cam 85 on a vertical shaft 86 may be employed to actuate the lever 82 as by engagement with roller87 mounted upon a pin- 88 in the outer end of the lever 82. A projection or abutment 89 may beprovided onthe outer end of the lever 82 for engagement with the end of a set screw 90. By adjusting the set screw 90 the movement of the roller end of the lever 82 toward tl1ecam 85 may be limited. This will limit the permissible movement of the collar 80 and the feed bar 41 and, through the gripper device, will serve to accurately position the tags upon the printing pad.

Suitable means is herein provided for printing the tags as they are successively positioned upon print pad 33. The means illustrated comprises a printing head mounted upon arms 96 journaled upon'a pin 97 in standards or brackets 98 bolted or otherwise secured to the frame 20. An arm 99 integral with arms 96 may be connected with suitable mechanism for operatingthe printing head. The arm 99, as here shown, carries a pin 100 operating in a bearing in one end of a con.- necting rod 101, which rod is driven by a crank pin 102 carried upon the face of a gear 103. Means may be provided for adjusting the length of'this connecting rod in order that the type carried by the printing head may at all times .engage the strips.

Both the feeding mechanism and the printin mechanism may be operated by a motor M through suitable gearing. For example the motor shaft 104 may carry a pinion 105 engaging a gear 106 fast on a lay shaft 107, which latter shaft carries a pinion 108 engaging the gear 103 to which the crank 102 is aflixed. The gear 103 may be fixed to a shaft 109 supported in a bearing in the bracket 98. This shaft may also carry a bevel gear 110 meshing with a similar bevel gear 111 fast on the shaft 86 drivingthe feed lever operating cam 85.

The printing head 95 may comprise a plate 114 attached to the two arms 96 and a chase holder 115 havinga closedend 116 and ribs- 117 along which the chase 118 slides. The chase may have a knob 120 so that it may be readilv handled. It may be locked in the chase holder by a latch 121. The chase holder is secured to the plate 114 by two bolts 122 passing through slots 123 in the latter. By this arrangement the chase holder may be moved laterally of the path of movement of the tags so that the type may be accurately located with respect thereto. Also, the chase may be quickly removed and its type changed for different jobs. I

Means is herein provided for inking the type when it is moved away from printing position. This mechanism. is shown quite clearly in Fig. 3. The full lines in that figure show the mechanism in printing position and the dot and dash lines show it in off or inking position. This inking means may comprise an ink pad 126 adapted to be attached by a clip 127 to a bar 128 rigid with the arm 129. The arm 129 may be pivotally sup- .ported through a pin 130 at its upper end by a bracket 1'31 aflixed to the base while the arm 129 at its lower end is connected'by a link 132 with the printing head. The connection of the link 132 with the arm 129 may be made through a pivot pin 133 while the other end of the link 132 may be pivoted to a.

fixed pin 13 1 fast on the printing head. By this arrangement movement imparted to the printing head through the connecting rod 101 will cause the ink pad to swing upward and strike the type face to face and ink the same. The ink pad, however, when swinging outwardly as the printing head moves down, will stand above the strips of tags and the gripper mechanism.

The tags 27 indicated in dotted lines in the figure are relatively long and may be classified as of the type adapted to be folded over I the edge of the goods and pinned upon themselves. WVith such tags it is usual to apply printing to either end. The tags, asshown in the figures, are arranged to have the printing applied to the ends adjacent the staples. If, however, it is desired to print the tags on the other end or at different points along the length of the tag, they may be reversed in position and the stapled ends positioned toward the front of the machine. For this purpose a guide is provided which includes the strips 136, 137 spaced apart to provide a groove 13 8.130 accommodate the staples. The end of the strip 137 may be bent outwardly as shown at 139 to guide the staples into the groove. The top edges of the strips 136, 137

are arranged at the same height as the top of thetable so that the strips may lie smoothly thereon either when the staples are engaged by the groove 138 orby the groove 28 of the table. The strips 136, 137 may be adjusted in position relatively to the front edge ofthe table and to this end they are mounted on collars 141 slidable upon fixed rods 1412 and held in adjusted positions thereon by set screws 143.

The'operation'of the machine, it is believed, will be clearly understood from the above description so that a detailed exposition of the same is unnecessary.

Although one embodiment of this invenpad to print the strip while located thereon,

means to pull the strip in steps past the print pad including a gripper device and a feed bar having a series of notches thereon, a pawl carried by said gripper device for engaging 39 the notches of the feed bar, means on said gripper device for releasing the strip and also disengaging the pawl from the feed bar, means for operating said feed bar in feeding direction including a spring, means for operating said feed bar in the opposite direction against the spring including a cam operated lever, and means timed with the movements of said lever for actuating said printing head.

2. A machine for printing strips of tags, comprising incombination, a table over which the strips may slide, means for printing the strips at a given position along the table, means to pull a strip by steps past the printing position including a gripper and a feed bar for moving the gripper, said feed bar having several series of spacing elements thereon, each series being of different spacing for tags of different widths, and means for selectively engaging said gripper with agiven series of elements on the bar.

3. A machine of the character described comprising in combination, means for printing a strip at a given position, means to move the strip by steps past the printing position including a feed bar having several series of spacing elements thereon, and means to rotate and lock said bar for the employment of a selected series of spacingelements including a sleeve slidably keyed on the bar, a head on said sleeve having longitudinal grooves thereon, a fixed stud adapted to move into one of saidgrooves when the head is pushed up but the head being free to rotate when pulled out, and means to hold the head in locked engagement with said stud.

4. A machine of the character described, comprising in combination, means for printing a strip at agiven position, means to move the strip by steps past the printing position including a feed bar having several series of spacing elements thereon, and means to rotate and lock said bar for the employment of a selected series of spacing elements.

5. A machine for printing strips of tags, comprising incombination, means for printing the strips at a given position and means to pull a strip by steps past the printingposition including a traveling gripper for the strip of tags and means to move the gripper intermittently in timed relation with the printing means, saidlast mentioned means providin selective setting for changing the length of the intermittent movements of the gripper for feeding tags of different widths.

6. A machine for printing strips of tags, comprising in combination, means for printing the strips at a given position and means to pull a strip by steps past the printing position including a travelling gripper for the strip of tags and means to move the gripper intermittently in a plurality of successive and progressive steps in timed relation with the printing means, said last mentioned means being adjustable to cause the tags to accurately register with the printing means.

7. A machine for printing strips of tags comprising in combination, a table over which the strips may slide, means for printing the strips at agiven position along the table, means to pull a strip by steps past the printing position including a reciprocating feed bar, means to operate the feed bar and adjustable means to limit the movement of the bar in feeding direction to cause the tags to accurately register with the printing means.

8. A machine of the character described comprising in combination, means to print one of a strip of tags in a given positlon, and

' means to pull said strips past printing position including a gripper device, said gripper device including a slidable block, a strip gripping finger secured to said block and hand operated means for raising said finger from ripping position, and means to give said block a step by step movement.

9. A machine of the character described comprising in combination, means to print one of a strip of tags in a given positlon, and means to pull said strips past printlng position including a gripper device, said gripper device including a slidable block, a strip gripping finger secured to said block and biased thereagainst to grip the strlp, anda stop pin for fixing the position of the strip beneath said finger, and means to glve said block a step by step feeding movement.

10. A machine of the characterdescribed comprising in combination, means to print one of a strip of tags in a given position, and means to pull said strips past printing position including a gripper device and a reciprocating feed bar, said gripper device lIleluding aslidable block, means to engage said feed bar when the bar moves in one direction and hand operated means for freeing the gripper device from the feed bar.

11. A machine of the character described comprising in combination, means to print. one of a strip of tags in a given position, and means to pull said strip past printing posi tion including a gripper device and a recip- 3 rocating feed bar, said gripper device includtion and traveling means for pulling the strip ing a slidable block, a pawl pivoted to said block for engaging said feed bar when the bar moves in one direction and ahand operated cam for moving said pawl clear of said feedbar. I

12. A machine of the character described comprising in combination, means to print one of a strip of tags in a given position, and means to pull said strippast printing position including a gripperdevice and a reciprocating feed bar, said grip er device including a sliding block, a finger pivoted thereto and biased thereagainst to grip the strip, a gravity biased pawl pivoted to said block for operatively engaging said bar. when the bar moves in one direction, a hand operated camengageable with said pawl for moving the same clear of the feed bar and a sliding pin'disposed between said pawl and finger to raise the latter whenthe pawl is moved by said cam.. V j V 13. A machine forprinting strips of staple bearing tags comprising in combination a table having longitudinal grooves for ac-. commodating the staples when the tags are to beprinted on one end and a pairof strips forming a groove between them adjustable with respect to the table for. accommodating the staples when the. tags areto. be printe on the other end. V

14, A machine for printing strips ofstaple bearmgtags comprising in combination, a table having longitudinal grooves for accommodating the staples when the tags are to be printed on one end, and means providing a groove adjustable with respect to the table for accommodating the staples when the tags are to be printed on the other end.

15. A machine for printing strips of partially severed tags comprisin means for supporting the strip at a prlnting position, means to impress the strip in printing positlon and traveling means for pulling the strip in successive and progessive steps past printlng position.

16. A machine for printing strips of partially severed tags comprisin means for supporting the strip at a prlnting position, means to impress the strip in printing posiwith intermittent movement in successive and progressive steps past printing position.

17. A machine for printing strips of partially severed tags comprising means for supporting the strip at a printing position, means to impress the strip in printing position and traveling means for pulling the strip with intermittent movement in successive and progressive steps past printing position, said pulling means including selective means for regulating the length of stroke for tags of different widths.

18. A machine for printing strips of ,partially severed tags comprising means for sup porting the strip at a printing position,

Eebruary,;1928.

means to impress the strip in p'rinting position and travelingmeans for pulling the strip with intermittent movement in successive and progressivesteps past printing position, said pull ng means includlng adpustable means to cause the tags to be fairly presented in printing position. I

19. A machine for printing strips of tags comprising means for supporting and print- 10 ing the tags in a printing position and traveling means movable in successive and progressive steps for drawing the strip past printingposition.

20. The method of printing strips of tagsv which may be longitudinally flexible and weak which comprises drawing the strips inintermittent steps past a printing station by pulling substantially in the printing plane and by engagement with the front end of the strip and impressing thetags as they are intermittently halted in printing position.

21. The method; of printing strips of tags which comprises grasping a strip near its 25; forward end by a traveling device engaging thefront end of the strip, drawing the strip forward insteps by said device and impressin'gthe tags as they are intermittently halted in'printing position.

In testimonywhereof, I have signed my name to this specification thisninth' day of 7 PAUL M. POPE. 

